Lady Liberty by Doreen Rappaport A Biography

A powerfully moving, authentic portrait of the Statue of Liberty, told through the eyes of those who created her and illustrated in glorious detail.

"Soon America will be one hundred years old. I share my dream of a birthday gift."

It begins in 1865 as a romantic idea, but ten years later Édouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire and takes shape. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady, holding a torch to "enlighten the world." Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, coppersmiths — many of them immigrants — work together to turn the lady into a monument over 100 feet tall. Joseph Pulitzer calls on readers to help fund a pedestal, and hundreds send in nickels, dimes, and even roosters for the cause. Doreen Rappaport’s historically accurate, poetic vignettes and Matt Tavares’s magnificent images remind us of the true origins of a national symbol — and show that it took a lot of people to make the Lady.

Doreen Rappaport has written many books for young readers, including an acclaimed trilogy about the African-American experience: NO MORE!, FREE AT LAST!, and NOBODY GONNA TURN ME 'ROUND, all illustrated by Shane W. Evans. She is also the author of MARTIN'S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., illustrated by Bryan Collier. She lives in Copake Falls, New York. Matt Tavares is the illustrator of IRON HANS: A GRIMMS' FAIRY TALE, retold by Stephen Mitchell; JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, retold by E. Nesbit; and 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. He has also written and illustrated three books inspired by baseball: MUDBALL, OLIVER'S GAME, and ZACHARY'S BALL. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.

Unrated Critic Reviews for Lady Liberty

Kirkus Reviews

“She will be massive but elegant, / as grand as any one of the / Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” Tributes to the Statue of Liberty abound, but this one stands out for its unusual approach and powerful illustrations.

Publishers Weekly

Tracing the Statue of Liberty's path to completion, Rappaport (Nobody Gonna to Turn Me 'Round ) lets those responsible for its creation tell the story of the project that spanned 20 years and two continents.